Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), such as tetrafluoropropenes are known effective refrigerants, fire extinguishants, heat transfer media, propellants, foaming agents, blowing agents, gaseous dielectrics, sterilant carriers, polymerization media, particulate removal fluids, carrier fluids, buffing abrasive agents, displacement drying agents and power cycle working fluids. Due to suspected environmental problems associated with the use of some of these fluids, including the relatively high global warming potentials associated therewith, it is desirable to use fluids having the lowest possible global warming potential (GWP) in addition to also having zero ozone depletion potential (ODP). Thus, there is considerable interest in developing environmentally friendlier materials for the applications mentioned above.
Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) having zero ozone depletion and low global warming potential have been identified as potentially filling this need. However, the toxicity, boiling point, and other physical properties of such chemicals vary greatly from isomer to isomer. One HFO having valuable properties is 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf or 1234yf).
HFO-1234yf has been shown to be a low global warming compound with low toxicity and, thus, can meet increasingly stringent requirements for refrigerants in mobile air conditioning. Accordingly, compositions containing HFO-1234yf are among the materials being developed for use in many of the aforementioned applications.
Various methods are known for producing HFO-1234yf, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,058,486, entitled INTEGRATED PROCESS TO PRODUCE 2,3,3,3-TETRAFLUOROPROPENE issued on Nov. 15, 2011, U.S. Pat. No. 8,975,454, entitled PROCESS FOR PRODUCING 2,3,3,3-TETRAFLUOROPROPENE issued on Mar. 10, 2015, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,766,020, entitled PROCESS FOR PRODUCING 2,3,3,3-TETRAFLUOROPROPENE issued on Jul. 1, 2014, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.